Persona 3:FESWith a New Friend
by 13TheAce
Summary: As Minato arrives in Iwatodai, he meets a new friend who happens to go to the same dorm and school. But, if they knew that their new life involved Personas and Shadows, they might have wanted to stay home.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone! Thanks for the great reviews and favorites for "Happy Birthday, Minato!" This is my first multi-chapter story! And there will a little add on that will change this story some. Hope you enjoy! Note: "This is talking," _This is thoughts._

Disclaimer: I don't own Atlus or Persona, just the plot of this fanfiction

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Prologue: And So It Begins

**MAPOV**

4/6/09 Subway Train in Japan

"Last stop: Iwatodai. I repeat, last stop Iwatodai."

The announcement woke me up. I had fallen asleep on the subway train that was taking me to my new dorm room. I still had "Burn My Dread" playing on my MP3 player.

_What time is it? _I pulled out my phone. The clock read 11:55 pm. _Why did the flight from Tokyo have to be cancelled?_ Normally, I would have been asleep right now, especially since I had school tomorrow. But with a cancelled flight, what could I do?

I looked around. There were only a few people on subway this late. The closest person was some guy my age who looked liked he was from the US. He looked like he was taller than me by a few inches, he had brown hair, a little longer than a buzz cut, and he wore a UNC Tarheel basketball t-shirt and blue jeans. _I wonder what he is doing in Japan._

As the train stopped and the doors opened, I saw the kid walk towards me.

"Is that the Gekkoukan High School uniform?" It was the first thing I had grabbed this morning, because I was hoping to go their today to get some paperwork out of the way.

"Yeah, I am transferring there this year. I'll be a junior."

"Cool, same here. I just had my uniform in my suitcase." This kid is going to Gekkoukan? It was a very prestigious school in Japan, but I don't see why he would go here.

"How did that work out?" I asked him as we exited the subway.

"Well, I'm from the US, but I have always wanted to study in Japan. I was able to find a scholarship for Gekkoukan and after I convinced my parents, I was on my way. What dorm are you staying at?"

"The Iwatodai Dorm."

"Same here, that's cool that we ran into each other." He smiled. It was not a big and crazy smile, but it made me feel more at ease with the stranger.

I smiled and reached out my hand. "My name is Minato Arisato. Nice to meet you." He reached out and we shook hands.

"Nice to meet you too. My name is…What the crap?!" Suddenly, the lights shut off and an eerie green glow covered the area. My MP3 player cut off as well. But the creepiest thing was that the water in a nearby fountain had turned red, like blood. I was shocked by the sudden change, but it also felt familiar.

The kid pulled out his phone and checked it. "It's dead. I thought I charged it." He looked up at me and asked, "Does this feel familiar to you, like you've been here a time or two?" I shook my head.

"It's strangely familiar, but let's get to the dorm." I said. He replied, "Yeah," and followed as I walked to the stairs to street level.

It was even stranger up there. There were a lot of coffins that lined the street as well as pools of blood, and the moon was colored in a strange green and emitted a green glow.

"Dude, I think this places loves Halloween a little bit too much," The kid piped up as he pulled out a map.

"Yeah. Where do we go from here?" I asked.

"We go…that way." He pointed off to the left. "Come on, let's get moving." He walked ahead as I walked behind.

Several minutes later, we arrived at the large building. It would have looked nicer if it didn't have that green glow.

"Here it is, the Iwatodai Dorm." He said with a smile.

"Geez, I lived here ten years ago, but I don't remember this building."

"You lived here? Was this green glow always here?"

"I don't remember." I said, but I thought to myself, _Did this green glow exist?_

"Well, let's go inside." He opened the door to let me in, so I entered first, shortly followed by him.

"Welcome. I have been waiting a long time for you." This kid with black hair, blue eyes and, strangely, a white and black striped shirt that reminded me of a prison costume came to view.

"You have?" The kid behind me said. "Sorry, our flights were delayed."

"Anyway, if you wish to proceed, please sign there." He snapped his fingers and motioned to the nearby receptionist's desk. There were two red folders, which opened on their own, revealing two pieces of paper with some writing. "Don't worry. It just says that you will take full responsibility for your actions. You know, the usual stuff."

I walked over and sure enough, the contract read: "I shall take full responsibility for my actions." On the line below, I signed. The kid came up afterwards, looked over the contract for a little bit, shrugged his shoulders, and signed his respective contract. I tried to catch a glimpse of his name, but suddenly the little boy had both of them.

"Time does not stop for anyone. It delivers us all to the same end. You can't just plug out your ears and cover your eyes." He turned his hand and the contracts disappeared. "And so it begins." He stepped back and then melted into the shadows.

"That was…interesting." I said after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah, but what did he mean by…" He tried to ask about was interrupted by someone yelling at us.

"Whose there?" We turned to the stairs and we saw a girl who was our age standing in the stair way. She had brown hair, a pink blouse, a skirt, and what appeared to be a gun attached to her hip. She walked towards us a little; she seemed nervous. "How are you two..? Don't tell me…" _What is this girl talking about, and why does she have a gun?!_

Suddenly, she pulled the gun out, and I was shoved out of the way by the kid I had arrived with. I thought I was dead, but then…

"Wait, don't!" The girl turned around and the kid and I looked past the girl to see a new girl. She seemed to be a year older than me. She had red hair, a white shirt, and a skirt. As soon as she spoke, the green glow faded away, the lights turned on, and I heard "Burn My Dread" resume on my MP3 player

"I didn't expect you to arrive so late," she said as she moved closer to greet us.

"My flight from Tokyo was delayed." I replied.

"Coming here from the US is a pain." the kid beside me responded.

The redhead just smiled a little. "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I am one of the students who live here."

"Nice to meet you." The new kid and I were surprised we said this at the same time.

"Who are they?" asked the brunette.

"They're transfer students. It was a last minute decision to assign them here. They will eventually be moved to a room in the boys' dorm." Mitsuru replied.

"Is it ok for them to stay here?"

"I guess we'll see..." Mitsuru motioned to the brunette. "This is Yukari Takeba. She will be a junior in the spring, just like you two."

Yukari bowed slightly and said,"...Hey."

"Why do you have a gun?" The kid asked straight forward.

"Huh? Well, it's sort of like a hobby." _You have one strange hobby there, Yukari._ "Not really a hobbit, but..."

Mitsuru helped her out, "You know how it is these days... It's for self defense."

"That makes sense," he replied.

"It's not a real gun," Mitsuru added. _Could have fooled me_. "You must be tired. You two should get some rest."

"...Oh. I will take you to your room," Yukari chimed in.

"Room? I thought the brochure said this dorm had one student per room," I said.

"Normally, that is the case. But there was a mistake on the 2nd floor. The two rooms were joined and we never thought to fix it," Mitsuru answered.

"Well, lead the way, Yukari."

She lead us to the 2nd floor and stopped between the two doors at the end of the hall.

"Here it is This will be your room. It's pretty easy to remember since it is at the end of the hall. Any questions?"

"What was the contract for?" The kid asked.

"Does that little kid live here too?" I asked.

"Huh?" Yukari looked confused. "What contract and what kid?" _Great, she has no idea what we are talking about. _"You both must be dreaming or something."

I looked over to the kid and we both passed each other a concerned look.

"Hey, when you were on the way here, was everything ok?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah," we both replied.

"Alright. I know you have other questions, but let's save them for later, 'kay." She started to walk way and called back, "Good night." The kid and I, though confuused, decided to enter our room.

You could tell it was meant to be seperate rooms. There were two of everything: two beds, two sinks, two mirrors, two closets, two sets of drawers, two desks, two computers, and two sets of identical looking calenders. Our luggage was already here, my stuff was on the bed to the left side, while my new roommate's stuff was on the bed at the right.

"This was a very interesting day." I said as we changed into our sleep clothes.

"Yeah, but what did we sign ourselves up for with that contract?"

"Let's find that out later, I'm beat."

"Same here...Oh yeah! I forgot to introduce myself with all the craziness that has happened." He walked over to me and reached out his hand. "My name is Nick Howarth. Nice to meet you, Minato."

I reached and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you too, Nick."

Nick smiled and climbed into his bed. "Good night."

"Good night." I slept soundly that night. But, little did I know, a crazy adventure was just getting started.

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Yes! For those of you who haven't read my profile, my name is Nick Howarth. No, I don't have a ego problem for throwing myself in this story. I have just always dreamed about throwing myself in a video game and helping out the characters. And what better way to do that than with the awesome Persona 3: FES. I will warn you, my life is crazy right now, so I have no schedule for writing this story. Please be patient as I will try my best to update new chapters. Please read and review! Hope you enjoyed the prologue!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone! Here it is, finally! Sorry it took so long. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not know Atlus or Persona, just the plot of this fanfiction.

Chapter 1: School

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**NHPOV**

4/7/09 Iwatodai Dorm

I woke up a little before 6. My first day of school started at 8, so I had a lot of time. I got up, went down the hall, took a quick shower, and changed into my school uniform. The school uniform consisted of a white dress shirt, a jacket with the school logo, and black dress pants. To had some personality, I put on a shark tooth necklace.

I was about to walk out of the room at 6:30, but Minato woke up.

"Yo, Minato, good morning."

"Mornin, Nick. What time is it?" the bluenette asked groggily.

"6:30 We have to be at the station at 7:30. I'll get some breakfast going."

"Alright, I'll be down in a minute." Minato got out of bed and started to get ready.

"'Kay." I walked out and headed down to the first floor. When I got to the lounge, I saw Mitsuru talking with someone I hadn't seen last night. He had silver hair, a red sweater vest, and khaki pants.

"Good morning, Mitsuru."

She turned towards me and smiled a little. "Good morning, Nick. How do you find your accommodations?"

I shrug my shoulders. "Its fine," then I turned to the silver haired teen and stretch out my hand. "Hey, my name is Nick Howarth."

He reached out and shook my hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Akihiko Sanada."

"Nice to meet you too, Akihiko." I started to head for the kitchen. "Have you two already had breakfast?"

"Yeah. We are about to leave. I have to help with the boxing team, and Mitsuru is involved in student council."

"Hey Nick, mind going to school with Yukari and Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"No problem." I turn around as they were walking out. "See you later."

Mitsuru and Akihiko both said "bye" and left. I got to the kitchen pantry, and after looking for a few minutes, I found some pancake mix. At 7, I had finished 6 pancakes. Just as I had finished the last one, Yukari and Minato came down.

"Morning, you two. I made pancakes."

"Morning," Minato said.

"Good morning! Thanks for the pancakes!" Yukari replied. She seemed a lot more cheerful this morning. We ate in relative silence, listening to Yukari tell us about what to expect at Gekkokaun. We cleaned up the plates and left by 7:15. By 7:30, we were on the subway to our school.

"This is my favorite part, when it feels like you are gliding over the water." _How is she the same girl from last night? She just seems too innocent. Last night, she almost shot me and Minato._ "Oh! Here it is! Our school." This _massive_ building came into view on the horizon.

"Is it behind that giant building?" I ask.

"That giant building _is_ our school."

"What?!" Minato and I shout. _How is that a school? It's three times bigger than a Wal-Mart._ We got off the subway at 7:45 and headed towards school. There were a lot of other students. One student rode a bike past us and said "Morning" to Yukari. Yukari responded "Good morning" and continued to walk in front of Minato and I.

When we got to the gate, Yukari turned around and smiled at us. "Well, welcome to Gekkokaun High School. Hope you enjoy it!"

*long whistle* "I think I might need a map for this place," I say.

Minato, who had been silent the entire time, pats me on the back. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Yeah, you're right." I smile. We walk into the main lobby. I notice four rows of shoe lockers and I start to wonder how am I fit my books in these little lockers.

"You're okay on your own from here, right?" Yukari asked.

"Yep," Minato and I respond.

"You should go see your homeroom teacher. The faculty office is over there to the left." She points over to the hallway at the left. "That concludes the tour, any questions?"

"Do you know what class you're in?" I asked.

"No, I haven't checked yet. Oh yeah!" She got closer to us, and she whispered, "Please, don't tell anyone about last night, ok?"

"'Kay."

"Alright, see you later!" Yukari turned around and walked toward a huge crowd that was crowding around a nearby bulletin board.

"Hey, Minato. Let's go to the ..." I would have finished had I not seen Minato just staring at Yukari. I snapped my fingers in front of the bluenette's face his tranceand he woke up from.

"What?"

"Dude, are you falling for Yukari?"

He turns his face away and blushes a little. "Yeah," he replies quietly. Then he shot me a look straight into my eyes and almost yelled, "Don't tell her!"

I slap him on the back. "Don't worry, your secret is safe. Anyway, let's go to the faculty office." I start towards the left hallway, and Minato followed slowly behind.

We enter the faculty office, and there is only one teacher. She has short, light brown hair, and she wore a tan suit. She finally noticed us after a few seconds.

"Oh. You two must be the new transfer students."

"Yep."

"Let's see...Nick Howarth and...Minato Arisato, right?" She started to look at some papers. "Nick, you should be a senior, right?"

Minato look at me confused. "Yeah, but the school recommended I stay a junior since this is my first time studying in Japan."

"OK. Minato...Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places. In 1999, that was, what ten years ago? Your parents *gasp*" She got sad all of a sudden. "I'm sorry. I haven't had time to look at this."

Now it was my turn to look confused. Minato mouthed "I'll tell you later" then spoke to the teacher. "It's alright, it happened a long time ago."

The teacher quickly regained her composure. "I am Ms. Toriumi. I teach composition."

"Hey," Minato replied.

I stuck out my hand. "Nice to meet you!"

She reluctantly shook my hand. "You may want to learn more about Japanese culture."

I salute, "I shall do so quickly, sensei!" Then I bow. Minato sweat-dropped.

Ms Toriumi laughed a little. "Such enthusiasm! I wish more students were like you. Anyway, you both are in 2-F. That's my class."

"Cool," we both say simultaneously.

"But first, we have an opening ceremony. Please follow me." _Great. Just what I want to do._

"What was that?" Minato whispered as we left the faculty office.

"It's called 'being a Southern.' Be polite and enjoyable to everyone, especially those who are your leaders and teachers."

"Anyway, why do we have to go to an opening ceremony?"

"I don't know. We really don't have this kind of thing back in the US. Hopefully, it won't be too bad," I say as we enter the gymnasium.

"I would like to start with proverb: If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well." The principal, a large man with white hair, weird, round glasses, and a really unusual mustache and beard began his speech. _Is there no thing in Japan as 'cruel and unusual punishment?'_ I might have fallen asleep if the kid sitting behind me not been trying to get me and Minato's attention.

"Hey, you are the new transfer student, right?"

"Yeah," we respond.

"I heard you both came to school with Yukari. So, I have a question. Do you know if she has a boyfriend?"

"Dude, we just met her yesterday," I said.

"We wouldn't know that," Minato added. _Whoa, did I sense some hostility in your voice, Minato? _

"Oh, I just wanted to see if-"

"I hear talking. It sounds like someone from Ms. Toriumi's class." The instant we heard the teacher, Minato and I turned back towards the speaker.

"Be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!" Ms. Toriumi snapped. And with that, we had to listen to the dreadfully speech, which only lasted 30 minutes before we were let out for classes.

At 4:30, the final bell rang.

"Freedom!" I said as I stood up and waited for Minato, who sat to my left, to get up.

"'Sup dudes?" We turn around and we see a fellow student with a baseball cap and a goatee.

"Who are you?" we asked.

"Me? I'm Junpei Iori. I transferred here in the eighth grade, so I know what it's like to be the new kid. So I stopped by to say 'hi.' See what a good person I am?" _Junpei has class clown written all over him._

"I swear, you'll talk to anyone as long as they'll listen. Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?" Yukari said as she came over.

"Hey, it's Yuka-tan," Junpei said, but then he grasped what she just said. "What do you mean? I'm just trying to be friendly." He seemed distressed now.

"Ugh. Whatever." Yukari then turned to me and Minato. "It's cool that we are in the same class. Some coincidence, huh?"

"Nothing happens by accident," Minato states.

"I agree with Minato," I reply.

Yukari would have said something, but Junpei was waving his hand in front of her face. "Hello, I'm in the same class, too. Oh yeah, I heard you three came to school together. Come on, give me the dirt!" _Great, a gossip-loving class clown._

Yukari looked really shocked. "Look, I just met them last night. Nothing is happening. Why are people talking about it, now you have me worried." _Is it me, or is she blushing?_

"Hey, you two haven't told anyone, right?" Yukari asked us. We shake our heads. "Listen, don't tell anyone about last night." That moment, Junpei put on an evil smile as bright as a Christmas tree. _Now you've done it, Yukari._

"L-last night?" Junpei asked. Yukari's face turned the brightest shade of red I have ever seen.

Get your mind out of the gutter, Stupei!" Yukari yelled. The remainder of the students who were left started to stare. "Anyway, I have some things to do for archery club. You better not spread any rumors, Stupei!" And with that, she headed to the door and walked out.

"Sheesh. Why does she care? It's not like people take those things seriously," Junpei said.

"You know how girls are...Stupei." I hold back a laugh. Minato does the same .

Junpei looked at us with shock. "Not you guys, too!"

"Don't worry, I wouldn't use it...often. Anyway, know any good places to hang out?"

"Junpei comes around, wrapping one arm around me and the other around Minato. "Don't worry. I shall be your guide to all the joys of this city!"

I look at Minato, and we both give each other a small nod. "Lead the way," we both say at the same time. Junpei smiles leads us to the door.

The next few hours were a blur. We all went to Paulownia Mall. We played at Game Panic, where Minato and I owned Junpei at the arcade games. Ten we went to the records store and a karoke place (Never, under any circumstances listen to Junpei sing. Trust me.). Minato and I said bye to Junpei and got back to the dorm a little after 6. We finished our homework and we were about to go to bed around 11 until I remembered something.

"Hey, Minato, what was the thing that Ms. Toriumi got upset over when we met her?"

"Oh. When I was 6 years old, my parents died in a car crash."

I was shocked. I had no idea that Minato had been through something like that. "I'm sorry."

"It's nothing." He reached into his shirt and pulled out a golden, square locket. Minato pulled the locket from around his nexk and tossed it to me. When I caught it, it was heavier than I was expecting.

"Is this real gold?"

He nodded. "The Arisato family is quite prestiguous in Japan. Go on and open it."

There was a single picture. It was at an amusement park, and it showed a younger Minato, his mom, and his dad. Minato wore a white shirt and a party hat, his mom wore a red dress, and his dad wore a blue collared shirt. Minato had his mom's silver eyes and his dad's blue hair.

I smile and say, "At least you still have a picture. This picture holds a lot of memories, and memories last forever." I close the locket, walk over and hand it to him.

"That's how I view it," Minato said as he took the locket back. He sighed. "I miss them, Nick. I really do. But, I know they wouldn't want me to mope around thinking only about the past. I need to move foward."

"Well, if you ever need any help just let me know."

He just smiled. "You're a good guy." He reached out his hand.

"I try." I grabbed his hand.

CRACK! _What?! _Suddenly, this card floated down out of nowhere. Where did this card come from? It had five different images: the top left corner had an angel, the top right corner had an eagle, the bottom left corner had a bull, the bottom right corner had a lion, and in the center was a woman. Thou art I, and I am thou. Thou hast established a new bond. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the World Arcana. The card vanished, leaving Minato and I really confused.

"Did you see or hear that?" I asked him. Minato nodded, but didn't say anything. Persona, World Arcana? What are those things? Suddenly, I felt extremely tired. Minato appeared really tired too.

"You ok?" I ask.

"Yeah, are you?" Minato asked me.

"I'm fine, just really tired now. I'm going to bed." I slip into the bed.

"Right behind you." We slept good that night...until midnight.

This chapter seems longer and slow, but don't worry! It will pick up soon! Also, some of you maybe thinking "What's be with the social link this early?" It will be explained soon, within a chapter or two. Don't ask about the font change, I don't know. Please read and review! Next Chapter: The Fateful Night


	3. Update

Hey everyone! Hope ya'll are doing well. I am sorry for the slow updates, school has been insane along with college applications. Considering this, I am sorry to inform that I will be temporarily postponing updating this story. I don't have to actually get to a computer to update. I may be able to put it on paper; I just can't type them up.

However, that does not mean that I am throwing in the towel. I want to continue writing this story. So, I'm asking for all of you guys' help. I will be having a poll. The question: who will be my girlfriend. It will be just the girls in SEES, with the exclusion of Yukari and Aigis (Yukari will be paired with my buddy, Minato, and Aigis, I'm sorry, but she's a robot. I know she practically became a human in Persona 3 FES: The Answer, but she is still a robot.) The ladies in the poll include: Fuuka Yamagishi, Mitsuru Kirijo, and Minako Arisato. Yes! Minako (some know her as Hamuko, or the P3P female protagonist, but I like Minako better) will appear. And you will, hopeful, be surprised at the tie in. I plan to keep the poll up until the chapter involving Christmas…which is probably going to be a while. If you don't have an account, just PM me your choose. The result of the poll will also affect other relationships.

Also, because Persona 3: FES is a game with a silent protagonist, I feel like there are not enough "true" special game moments. So, if you have a happy/sad/awesome/interesting/hilarious event that can be used in the story, please let me know. I would love to make the story as enjoyable as possible, but I don't want to overdo it, so they have to be reasonable and within the time limit of the game. With any events, PM me so that they remain a secret for all the other readers.

Now, for future plans, I have many ideas for what I can do. My current ideas include the continuation of this story in a series (which would include The Answer, Persona 4, and a story after Persona 4), Ace Combat, Phantasy Star Portable 2, Phantasy Star Portable 2: Infinity(?), and Sword Art Online (which is a _very_ popular anime series in Japan). However, I am open to ideas. If you can think of any game/book/show that I can write about, please let me know.

That's all for now. Thank you for your support and patience. God bless.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! I was actually able to get to a computer because of Thanksgiving break. Hope ya'll had a good time on Thanksgiving. Anyway, here's chapter two. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 2: The Fateful Night

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**MAPOV**

"Hey, Minato. Wake up." I could hear Nick's voice.

"5 more minutes," I reply groggily.

"Minato. WAKE UP!"

"5 more minutes!"

"Minato, I'm making pancakes."

I shot my eyes open and turned towards his voice. _Those pancakes that Nick made were freaking good_. "Really?"

"Well, I would, but we're NOT IN OUR DORM!"

I looked around and I see Nick's point. We were in what looked like a blue elevator. And by blue, I mean that _every single thing_ was blue.

"Why are we here?" I asked.

Nick points in front of him. "Ask him. He's the one who called us. Did you not hear the 'Master Minato Arisato. Master Nicholas Howarth.'"

I look in front of me and jump up a little bit in shock. There is a man sitting on another side of a table and a woman standing behind him. The man had a huge nose (and I mean that nose could have been 2 feet long), bulging eyes, and a black suit. The woman wore a blue elevator attendant uniform and had golden eyes and blonde hair. While the man looked like he was in his 50s, the girl looked like she was barely older than us.

The man just gave a huge smile as he said, "Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance." Then he motioned to the girl behind him. "This is my assistant, Elizabeth. She is a resident here as well."

Pleased to meet you," Elizabeth said. Even though they seemed nice, I couldn't help but be weary.

I look at Nick. He must have been awake longer than I have because he seemed uneasy with the

man, and he mouthed, "Be careful."

Igor must have picked up on our weariness. "Do not be alarmed. We mean no harm. It has been years since we have since had a guest, let alone two."

_Well, he's got a point. _"If you had wanted to do something, you would have done it by now."

Nick nodded. "We're your guests? What is this place?"

Igor smiled again, and I shivered because it was _literally_ ear to ear. "This place exists between dream and reality. Mind and matter." That doesn't make any sense. "Only those who have signed a contract may enter." He waved his hand over the table and two red folders appeared. As they flipped open, me and Nick realized what they were.

"Those are those contracts we signed!" Nick and I shouted in surprise.

"You both are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return. I hope you uphold your agreement. Until next time, farewell." I was going to ask about our "ability", but it was too late. The room started to fade away into the darkness as I resumed a peaceful sleep.

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4/9/09

The next two days went by fast and were mostly uneventful. Only two things happened. First, Nick convinced Junpei, who wasn't paying attention in class, that Dr. Seuss was Ms. Toriumi's favorite author. That was_ hilarious._ Then we met with the chairman of the school board, Shuji Ikutusuki. He said he came by to meet Nick and I and answer any questions. I asked who lived here, and he said the residents included me, Nick, Yukari, Mitsuru, and another senior, Akihiko Sanada. I was going to asked about the other night, but I was too tired to even think straight. Ikutusuki suggested we go to bed, and left with an awful pun: "The early bird catches that bookworm." After some assurance from Yukari that we would get used to them, we went to our room.

Now, it's the middle of the night of April 9. Me and Nick were sleeping, until something shook the entire building.

"What was that?!" I asked as I shot out of bed.

"I don't know, but dude…the creepy green light is back." Nick was right. The room was bathed in the same green light from a few nights ago. In addition, there was blood oozing down from the ceiling.

"Do you think we should check it out?" I asked Nick.

"Heck yeah." We changed into our school uniform (they were the closest things) and our knives (we both had Kerkshaws). We were about to leave, until we heard a loud bang on our door.

"Wake up! Sorry, but I'm coming in!" Yukari burst into the room. She seemed slightly out of breath and she was holding…_Wait, are those…_?

"Why do you have swords?" Nick asked before I could.

"Later! Right now, we need to go!" Her urgency reminded me about how she acted the night we got to the dorm. Yukari tried to hand us the swords. "Take these." I grabbed the short sword, which was good for thrusting, and Nick took the broadsword, which was used for slashing.

We followed Yukari to the back exit on the first floor. Then we heard Mitsuru's voice come out of nowhere, "Takeba, can you hear me?" _They must have a communicator._

Yukari was shocked as she replied, "Y-yes! I can hear you!"

"Be careful! There's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting is not the one Akihiko saw!" _Enemy?! More than one?!_

"What?!" Yukari, Nick, and I yelled. Then…*BANG!* Something banged on the exit door that cause all of us to jump back three feet. The building started to shake again. "We need another exit!" Yukari yelled.

"The roof!" Minato and I said. Yukari quickly nodded and ran past us to lead us to the roof.

It felt like a horror movie. Running up the stairs…away from something we couldn't see…the whole dorm continuously shaking. Once we got to the roof, Nick and I pushed against the door as Yukari locked it.

"We should be safe up here," Yukari said. We were relieved for just a moment…until we heard a strange noise. We all turned and saw a black hand hanging on the edge of the roof. Six more hands reached up and grabbed on to the edge as well. _What the crap?! _Another hand, holding a big blue mask, came up and swiveled the mask around. Once the mask was looking…or facing us, four more hands with large daggers appeared. This…thing suddenly shifted its entire body so that it was on the roof. _WHAT THE CRAP?!_

"What the crap is that thing?!" Me and Nick asked.

"Those beings…we call them Shadows!" Yukari pulled out a gun, which looked familiar, and pressed it against her forehead.

"Wait! Aim at that monster, Yukari!" I couldn't believe it. _Why are you about to shoot yourself?!_ The being, which Yukari had called a Shadow, threw some vortexes of wind at us. Yukari was just about to pull the trigger, but the Shadow threw a dagger at her. Nick was able to jump in front of Yukari and block the dagger with his broadsword, but the impact threw him into her. As a result, Yukari lost her grip on the pistol, which skidded right next to my foot.

As I picked up the pistol, I saw the boy who had given us the contracts. He took his finger and pushed it the side of his head. "Can you…do it?" _Was he referring to the gun?_

I decided, in the most insane moment of my life, to put the gun to my head and close my eyes. Suddenly, this surge of energy flowed through me, and then a blurry image appeared in my mind. The image started to become clearer and when I could tell what it was, I uttered this word:

"Per…

…so…

…na."

I could hear Nick yell, "No!" as I pulled the trigger. The energy that flowed throughout my body exploded out as the image out of my mind began to materialize. It seemed to be mechanical; it had a faded green body, which look like it had a large speaker on its chest, a black face, and white hair.

_I am thou, and thou art I. From the sea of thy soul I come. I am Orpheus, master of strings._ The being, Orpheus, took a harp-looking object form its object and swung it at the Shadow. The Shadow blocked the attack and tried to stab the "Persona". Orpheus jumped back and dodged the attack. Another word popped in my head, and I yelled it to Orpheus: "Agi!" Orpheus played a few notes and a fireball flew out from the "harp" at the Shadow. However, the Shadow blocked the attack with its daggers.

Suddenly, I felt a head-splitting pain. I grabbed my head and dropped to my knees. I saw Orpheus shaking, and then two hands popped out of his mouth. The hands ripped Orpheus apart to reveal a new being. This new "Persona" was terrifying; it had a long black coat, a bird-like mask, and a long necklace of coffin. The being drew a sharp sword and attacked the Shadow. It crushed the Shadow, and the only thing left from the fury of punches and slashes were a few puddles of black goo.

The being let out a scream of victory, but then changed back into Orpheus. As Orpheus faded away, because his job was finished, a wave of tiredness rushed over me. It hit my head on the ground and everything went black.

* * *

**NHPOV**

I was scared. Scared of the "Shadow". Scared of Minato's "Persona". Scared of the…thing that came out of Minato's "Persona". But as soon as Minato fell over, I broke free of the fear that was crippling me.

"Minato!" I rushed over to Minato to make sure he was fine. He still had a pulse, but wouldn't wake up. Those things must have taken toll on him. Not surprisingly; those two beings were strong enough to beat that…Shadow, was it? _What were they called? Persona?_

"Is it over?" Yukari asked as I grabbed the gun from Minato. I was about to reply, but the puddles of goo left over from the last enemy started to move on their own. Eight new Shadows came out of the goo, each with a blue mask similar to the larger Shadow that had been destroyed. _You just had to ask, Yukari._

I put the gun to my head and closed my eyes. I saw an image, which started out hazy but became sharper after a few seconds. I could feel a surge of energy throughout my body.

"Persona!" I pulled the trigger, and a man on a winged horse appeared. The man wore ancient Greek armor, had black hair, and held a spear. The horse was white as snow.

I am thou, and thou art I. I am Bellerphon, rider of Pegasus. Bellerphon charged the closest Shadow and skewered it with his spear. Another tried to attack me, but I slashed at it twice with an X-shaped pattern and the Shadow dissipated.

"AH!" I turned and saw Yukari being attacked by yet another Shadow. I ran over and block the Shadow from wounding Yukari more. I kicked it hard and sent it flying. I wasn't about to let it do more harm.

"I will protect my friends," I said as I turned to face the other six Shadows. Almost immediately after I said this, a card appeared in front of me, covered in light. I soon recognized the card. _What was this called? The Word Arcana?_ I dropped the pistol and reach out to grab it. As soon as I touched it, it broke and disappeared. I felt another huge rush of energy flow through my body as red, white, and blue flames covered my body.

"Nick? What's happening? " I turned around and saw that Yukari was terrified. I also saw the gashes on her legs from the Shadow's claws. I reached out my hand and channeled energy from me to Yukari. After a few seconds, Yukari's wounds were completely healed. She was shocked and relieved, and was about to ask what happen, but I stopped her.

"I'll have to answer that question once I find out myself." Suddenly, Mitsuru and Akihiko broke the door down. When they saw me, they were speechless. "Keep Yukari and Minato safe," I say as I turned back to the Shadows and summoned Bellerphon, without the pistol.

Except this time, it wasn't Bellerphon. A different man in golden armor appeared, instead. He had tan skin, white hair, and green eyes. The armor's design seemed to be older than Bellerphon's armor, but I couldn't tell how old. The new Persona raised a sword into the sky. The sword was long, about 44 inches, made of steel, and the hilt was made with gold and silver inlays. As he raised the sword, the sky turned from green to bronze, then a million swords rained from the sky. Five Shadows were destroyed, and the last one was just somehow slightly injured. I brought my sword back, preparing to slash at the Shadow, and allowed some of my new energy to flow into the sword. As I brought it forward, a beam of red, white, and blue energy shot towards the remaining Shadow and vaporized it instantly.

The new Persona faded away once the Shadows were destroyed. I could feel the energy slip away. Then, I felt my knees buckle, and everything faded to black.

* * *

I woke up in a familiar place. _What was this place? Oh yeah, this is the Velvet Room._ I looked ahead of me and saw Igor and Elizabeth across from the table.

Igor spoke first. "Welcome back. Don't worry, you passed out after you awakened to your power. We have already explained it to Minato, and now we will explain your power to you." _Now that he mentions it, Minato isn't here._ The chair to my left is empty.

"What is my power?"

"Well, you have two." Igor waved his hand over the table a miniature Bellerphon appeared. "Your first power is that of Persona."

"What is a Persona?"

"Think of it as a façade or a mask used to fight hardships."

"Fight hardships? Do you mean it represents my personality?"

Igor smiled. "Exactly. You have the ability of the Wild Card, which means you can wield multiple Personas. But, your Wild Card is not complete."

Bellerphon disappeared and twenty one cards appeared on the table. The designs looked familiar to the World Arcana, but they all had a unique design. "Normally, as a Wild Card, you can use all twenty one Arcanca. However, your abilities are limited to fourteen." Seven of the cards disappeared, leaving, as Igor said, only fourteen. He then proceeded to name the Arcana left:

"You can bond with the Fool, Empress, Emporer, Lovers, Chariot, Hermit, Strength, Hanged Man, Death, Tower, Star, Justice, Judgment, and Aeon Arcana."

"Wait, bond with the Arcana?" I asked.

Igor nodded as he replied, "With this power, it is weak. You must make Social Links: bonds with friends that cannot be broken. There lies the true power of these Arcana."

Then I remembered the night of April 7. "Have I already started a Social Link?" Igor smiled that trademark smile.

"Yes, which leads us to the topic of your second power."

"Due to the rarity of this power, I would like to explain it to him, Igor." A deep and ancient sounding voice through the Velvet Room, which made me jump out of my chair and onto my feet. I jump again when I heard a door behind me open. I turned and saw a man wearing a black suit, a golden tie, and what appeared to be a blue butterfly mask. But as he walked closer, it looked like the mask was infused into his face. I was about to freak out, but then I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Igor and Elizabeth bowing in respect.

"It is nice to meet you again, Master Philemon," they said.

"Thank you, Igor and Elizabeth. You always make me feel welcome." Then he turned to me and stretched out his hand. "My name is Philemon, observer of events."

I was reluctant at first, but then I saw that his smile was full of warmth. "Nick Howarth. Nice to meet you." I grabbed his hand in a firm handshake.

"A well-mannered Wild Card. This is going to be interesting." Philemon let go of my hand and looked to the table. The Arcana that were on the table disappeared and were replaced with two images. The first was the World Arcana, and the second was a three dimensional image of me covered in red, white, and blue flames.

"You have received a very special gift: the powers of the World Arcana. This one of the most powerful forces that a mortal can wield . It represents fulfillment, wholeness, and harmony. As you progress your Social Link of the World Arcana, you will awaken to more heightened senses and abilities."

"Heightened senses? Abilities?"

"You have already noticed a few. Increased speed, strength, and powerful blasts of energy. Also, a power of healing. This ability is currently conditional. It will change depending on you cause."

"My cause? Like wanting to protect Minato and Yukari?" I asked.

Philemon nodded. "You also have another power right now. You can tell whether people have a Persona or has the potential to use a Persona."

"That can be usefully."

"Yes, but you can unlock so much more. You could see the past or anywhere in the present. You could freeze time. You could even change the fabric of reality itself."

That blew my mind. Especially 'change the fabric of reality.' _I could make the world how I want it?_ I thought that this could be awesome. But, than I thought about something else. _What would happen if I did alter reality? What would I change beside that one specific thing? _"Should I really be able to use those kinds of powers, Philemon? I can think of a million ways I can screw up with that much power."

Philemon smiled as he put his hand on my shoulder. Unlike Igor's smile, which was kind of creepy, Philemon's smile was full of warmth and kindness. "This is why I can trust you with this power. You thought about the consequences as well as the benefits. You will be fine. Besides, if you need any help, just call me."

"Ok…wait. How am I supposed to call you?" I asked.

"You'll find you when you need to ask. Now you are about to wake up." Just as he said it, my vision began to fade. Philemon took something out of his pocket and gave it to me "You'll be needing this when you want to come back here…Oh, tell Orpheus and Bellerphon 'hello' for me when you see them." I was going to ask why, but my vision went black as I left the Velvet Room.

* * *

Oh my gosh! This felt like a really long chapter. I just wanted to stick both Minato's and my perspective in the same chapter because it involved that night. Anyway, please review and vote on my poll. Thank you! See you next time!

Edit(11/25/12): Hey Everyone! Quick little addition. I now have a Facebook page for 13TheAce! I would love for ya'll to check it out, so here is the web address: #!/13theace?fref=ts. Hope you enjoy and support the page!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello everyone! Time for more adventures with Minato. But first, review responds!

To everyone who said "great job" or "nice job" or similar: Thanks!

Toon663: Thanks. I was hoping to do that!

Astrodynamix: I am as well.

Let's go!

Chapter 3: Hospital

* * *

**NHPOV**

"Minato…Nick. Please, wake up." I heard a familiar voice calling out. _Yukari?_

I opened my eyes and saw a plain, white ceiling. _Where am I?_ I notice a window to my left, allowing sunlight to enter the room. Then, it hit me…I'm in a bed. There was only one white sheet covering my body, which meant one thing: _I am in a hospital…Not the place I wanted to end up in Japan. I haven't even been here a week!_ I looked to my right, and there was Yukari. She was sitting in between my bed and another bed next to me. I wondered who it was, and then I saw the blue hair. _Minato's here too?_

Yukari turned around and jumped up in shock when she saw me. "You're up!" She came over and hugged me. "It's been so long. I was getting worried."

"Wait, 'so long'? Yukari, how long have I been out?" I asked as I tried to sit up.

Yukari was about to answer, but then we heard some sheets ruffling. We looked over and saw Minato, struggling a little to sit up. "*groans* Hey guys." Then he looked around and started to get jumpy. "Why are we in a hospital?!"

I was shocked by Minato's reaction. _Minato, I understand that this isn't the best place to be, but is it this bad?_

"Minato!" Yukari jumped and hugged/tackled Minato. Minato seemed to calm down a bit after this. And judging by how long Yukari was hugging him, I had a feeling it wasn't just because she was worried for a friend. _I'm going to have to investigate this later._

"Jeez. I was worried about both of you. How do both of you feel?"

"I feel like I got hit by a motorcycle." Minato answered first.

"I've felt better, but I've also felt worse." I reply.

"How much sleep do you need? It's been an entire week."

"AN ENTIRE WEEK?!" Minato and I yelled. _I have been in Iwatodai for more than a week, but I can't even remember half of it!_

"I was really worried about both of you. The doctor just said you two were exhausted and that nothing was wrong. But y'all just keep sleeping and sleeping, so I was worried. I mean, you both saved my life. So I couldn't just leave you like this." _We did?_ Suddenly, I remember all that happened on that one night.

"You mean, what happened on April 9th, that wasn't a dream?" I asked.

She just nodded before she continued. "Umm. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything. Even though I was suppose to protect you, I…" I raised my hand to stop Yukari.

"Yukari, you don't have to apologize. You did what you could in a situation that any normal person couldn't expect. I thank you for what you did. That was a brave thing to do."

She looked like she was going cry from happiness. "But, your powers…They were amazing."

Minato looked confused when she said this. "Yukari, what exactly did I do?"

"The power that both of you used, we call it 'Persona'. The thing that both of you fought were Shadows- our enemy." Then she looked at me. "But your power…what exactly is it?"

Minato looked at me confused. _Oh right. Minato went unconscious before I unleashed the World Arcana. He has no idea._ "I only know a little about it, and I'm not sure if this is the time or place to talk."

Yukari, unexpectedly, just nodded her head. "I'm sure that both of you have your own questions. So we'll have to explain later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Yukari stood and walked towards the edge of the beds. "I…wanted to tell you, Minato, that…I'm sort of like you." _What?_

"What do you mean?" We asked her.

"Well, my dad died in an accident when I was little, and my mom and I are not on the best terms. You're all alone too, right?" _I feel like I shouldn't be in here. They both have painful pasts, and my life has been pretty normal._ "To be honest, I already know about your past…But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine…As well as you, Nick." She started to get choked up, but resumed talking after a little bit. "It was back in '99. There was a huge explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened…" _Back to 1999? That's when Minato had his accident. Are these two events connected?_

"So, there is no kind of record for what happened?" Minato asked.

"No. He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group." _The Kirijo Group?! The company that Mitsuru's father runs?_ "So, I'm hoping to find out some information if I stick around for a while. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan high, and why I was there when this happened to the two of you." _So she's playing along to find out what truly happened to her father. I hope that goes well._

Then Yukari looked down at her shoes. "Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help…It was the first time I was fighting the Shadows as well. I'm sorry…Neither of you would be in this kind of condition if it weren't for me. I'm a coward."

Now it was Minato's turn to cheer her up. "Yukari, it is NOT your fault. I was just as scared as you were. You did fine, especially because it was all of our first time fighting them." Now, Yukari started crying. She ran over and gave Minato another hug. _This is very interesting. So does Yukari like Minato?_

She wiped her tears and smiled. "I can't believe you said that. But still…And here I am telling both of you all of this stuff the minute y'all wake up. As I was waiting, I thought to myself, 'I have been hiding all of these things from these two…AS soon as they wake up, I am going to tell them both the truth." Yukari exhaled a huge breath before continuing. "So, thanks for listening. I have wanted to share this story with someone for a long time." She smiled, and I'm not surprised. _She looks like she took off a heavy weight off her chest. _

"Anyway, I'll be going. I'm going to let everyone else know that you're awake. Both of you take it easy will you. Be good patients! And don't hesitate to call a nurse. I'm sure she'll take good care of you two."

I threw a thumbs up. "Will do, Yukari."

Before she walked out, Yukari look at me. "By the way, why do you call us by our first name?"

_Oh yeah, that's right. You only use first names in Japan if you're really good friends or in a relationship with the person. _"It's an old habit from the States. No matter who you're talking to, you use someone's first name if their around your age. It would be weird if I used someone's last name if I were still in the US. I don't mean to be disrespectful."

Yukari nodded. "Oh, ok. Well, bye."

As soon as she walked out of the room, Minato turned to me. "What happened on April 9th? I remember that Shadow and my Persona, but not much after that."

"Well, you went unconscious." I quickly explained what had happened after Minato had blacked out, including my Persona, the World Arcana, and the meeting with Igor.

"So you can use a Persona, and you are a Wild Card?"

"Yeah, but Igor said that it was lacking a few Arcana compared to yours. But the World Arcana seems to make up for it."

"So, what did the World Arcana feel like?"

"Like…the biggest adrenaline rush I have ever had." I replied.

_This is an intriguing situation that our masters find themselves in._ Suddenly, a voice rang throughout the room. It sounded ancient, but also had a mechanical sound in it.

_I agree with you, old friend. They will find themselves in a unique journey. _Another voice rang out, and it sound as ancient as the previous voice, but it lacked the mechanical aspect.

"Who's there?!" Minato and I said simultaneously.

_Oh. It appears they can hear us. _The mechanical voice rang out again.

_Well, let us not leave our masters questioning our existence._ The other voice replied.

Suddenly, two lights flashed at the edges of our beds. They were the two "Personas" that we had summoned for the first time on April 9th. They were hovering in mid air, and they both looked the same as when we had summoned them.

_I am Orpheus. Minato-sama, you are my master._ The mechanical looking Persona hovering Minato's bed spoke first.

_I am Bellerphon. I am your servant, Master Nick._ The Greek warrior reading the Pegasus followed suit.

"Wait, we can see _and_ talk to you." I asked.

_Yes, Nick-sama._ Orpheus answered. _Well, this is interesting. _I thought to myself.

Minato seemed surprised as well. "This is incredible. Can anyone else see you?"

_While in this form, only those whom you would like us to see can see us, Master Minato._ Bellerphon answered this time.

"Wait, _this_ form? What do you mean?" I asked.

Orpheus and Bellerphon looked at each other and nodded. Then they were bathed in light that blinded Minato and I. Once the light died down, we looked and around jaws hit our bed. They didn't look like the Personas that we had just seen. They were…human.

"WHAT?!" Me and Minato yelled. Orpheus had shorter, white hair, hazel eyes, and tan skin. He…or it?...Anyway, he wore a dark green t-shirt with two guitars and a speaker and black jeans. Bellerphon had the same tan skin, but that was the only similarity. He had longer brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a gold colored polo and blue jeans. To top it off, he had a slight muscular build, which matches the way he had been as a Persona.

"Is there something the matter, Minato-sama?" Orpheus asked. His voice didn't sound ancient anymore but there was a Greek accent in his voice.

"Yes, are you displeased that we can change forms, Master Nick?" Bellerphon's voice also lost the ancient, but the Greek accent he had seemed slightly heavier.

"No no no no! I'm just surprised, that's all." Then something popped in my head. "Wait a minute. Why does Orpheus refer to us using 'sama', but you refer to us as 'master'?"

"As we are Persona, we match to each of your own unique personalities." Bellerphon answered.

"Exactly. I match the mindset of Minato-sama, while Bellerphon matches yours, Nick-sama." Orpheus further explained.

Minato looked at me. "We have go to ask Igor more about Personas."

"Yeah." Then I remembered something else unique about my meeting. "Wait a minute. I think I know someone else who could help us out."

Minato raised his eye brow. "Who?"

"A guy name Philemon. He was the one who actually explained the powers of the World Arcana to me. Oh yeah, Philemon told me to tell both of you hi." I told the Personas. They smiled, apparently

"Well, how are we going to contact him?"

"I don't know. He didn't give me…" Then I remembered that Philemon had given me something as I was losing consciousness in the Velvet Room. I reached in my pocket and pulled out what was in it. There was a key, a business card, and a small note. The key was blue and had some sort of 2-D face on it. The business card was all black, feature the name "Master Philemon" in a blue, elegant font and a blue butterfly.

Then I read the note aloud. "Nick, I know I gave you these things in a rush, so that's why I wrote this note. My apologies on not explaining this in person. First, the key is called the Velvet Key, also known as the Contractor's Key. The key will enable you to enter the Velvet Room once you find the door. Don't worry that will come at the right time. As for the business card, this is how you can contact me. Just press the blue butterfly and I'll come. See you around. Philemon."

I look at the card and press the butterfly. Suddenly, blue smoke rose from the floor. Orpheus and Bellerphon turned towards the smoke, as in anticipation. Once the smoke cleared, Philemon stood where it had been, wearing his suit from our first meeting.

Minato jumped once he saw Philemon's face. "What the?!"

Philemon looked towards him. "So you are the Minato Arisato Igor was talking about. I am honored." Then Philemon turned his attention to me. "Pleasure to meet you again, Nick Howarth."

"As well as you, Mr. Philemon. Would you like to meet our Personas?" I gestured behind him. Philemon turned, and as he did, Bellerphon and Orpheus bowed slightly.

"It is nice to meet you, Master Philemon," They said at the same time.

"It's a pleasure to meet you two as well." Philemon replied. Then he looked back at Minato and I. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

I nodded. "First, could calm Minato down first?" Minato had been tense the moment Philemon had entered the room.

Philemon chuckled before he addressed Minato. "Do not worry, Minato. I assure you that I mean you no harm. My friend Igor would not be pleased."

That caught Minato's attention. "You know Igor?" Minato asked cautiously.

"Yes. In fact, he works for me." That made Minato relax a lot.

"Now that we are more comfortable, why can we see our Person?" I asked.

Philemon smiled. "Any Wild Card have the ability to see their Personas. Whether it be their intial, like Orpheus and Bellerphon, or any other Persona."

Minato butted in. "But, why are they able to become human?"

"That comes with the World Arcana social link between the two of you. The power between a complete Wild Card…" Philemon points at Minato, "and a Wild Card with the power of the World Arcana…" Philemon then points to me, "enables the materialization of both of your Personas in a human form."

"Wow. That's an unexpected result." I looked to Minato. "Do you have any other questions? Because I can't think of any."

"I'm good."

"Thanks for your time, Philemon." I nodded to him.

He smiled. His smile still perceived that same warmth as from when we had met in the Velvet Room. "I warn you now. Both of you are about to dive into a mystery beyond the understanding of everyone in Iwatodai. However, the consequences of your actions may affect the world. I wish both of you the best of luck. I will be there whenever you need help. Until the next time, farewell. " More blue smoke appeared, and Philemon disappeared along with it.

"So, we hold the fate of the world in our balance." I said, still shell-shocked by what Philemon said.

"Yeah, I know. We have to be really careful about what we do." Minato responded.

"We need to watch each other's back and help each other out in any situation." I reached out my fist towards Minato. "Ready to do our best? For the world?"

Minato grinned and bumped my fist. "For the world."

*CRACK!* _I am thou, and thou art I. Thou hast received a blessing from the World Arcana._ The mysterious voice rang out as it had the night we had met. I returned Minato's smile. _This is going to be one heck of a time._

* * *

Another chapter down! Yeah! Anyway, the poll is showing strong support for all the ladies. Let's keep it up! Anyway, I will see you next time! Please read and review!


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